Though the Nalgene Grip-N-Gulp has a sippy-style top, it doesn’t look or feel too babyish for bigger kids. My eight-year-old still sometimes uses this bottle at home and at school (sans gasket), and it’s small and smooth enough to slide easily into the side pocket of a backpack or diaper bag. So far, it has also fit into every cup holder I’ve tried, including in car seats, booster seats, and strollers. A simple fixed loop on the lid makes it easy for kids to grab this bottle with one or two fingers, and it’s carabiner-friendly too. If you want to upgrade to something more grown-up over time (ours are still functional after years of heavy use), you can use any of Nalgene’s wide-mouth lids with this bottle as well.
What I didn’t like about the Nalgene Grip-N-Gulp Kids Water Bottle
The fixed, hard plastic sippy-cup-style spout means kids don’t have to use germy hands to open and close the spout, but it also means the part that comes in contact with your kid’s mouth is constantly exposed to everything. While the lack of a removable straw makes this bottle incredibly easy to clean, the silicone valve does make it a little harder to drink from. For older kids, you can remove the valve for faster flow, but then the bottle will no longer be leak-free.
The best insulated water bottle for toddlers: 12-Ounce Thermos Funtainer
The Hydro Flask is indicated for kids three and up, so if you have a younger little one that could use an insulated water bottle (and pediatricians and occupational therapists often recommend starting kids on a straw before their first birthday), the Thermos Funtainer is your best bet. In addition to a soft silicone straw, this lightweight, leak-free bottle has a hinged handle with a little strip of textured silicone on the underside that’s easy for little hands to grab, as well as a full-coverage push-button lid to keep the straw clean.
The Funtainer will keep drinks cold for up to 12 hours and it’s deceptively compact; it looks and feels smaller than the other bottles I recommend, but it has the same 12-ounce capacity. It’s short enough to fit into many lunch boxes and slim enough to fit into just about any cup holder— even the frustratingly tiny ones you find on some car seats.
Thermos knows its audience for the Funtainer, too, so in addition to solid colors, it’s available in a variety of designs, including Paw Patrol, Frozen, and more. And if the straw component (which also includes a leak-preventing disk that pops securely into the lid) gets damaged or worn out, Thermos offers affordable replacements.
What I didn’t love about the Thermos Funtainer
The only thing I didn’t like about this bottle was cleaning it. The Funtainer is marketed as dishwasher-safe, but the manual recommends hand-washing when possible and the narrow silicone straw should really be cleaned with a straw brush. When putting everything back together, you really have to secure the straw piece in the lid or this bottle will seriously leak.
How I tested kids’ water bottles
As the bottles arrived, I hand-washed them with dish soap and hot water. Then I reassembled them, filled them with ice water, and passed them off to my kids, 5 and 8—who fought over every single one. After they stopped bickering, they told me what they liked and didn’t like about each, including how easy it was to drink out of them. We also tested the bottles for leaks by holding them upside down and shaking them when open and closed. My kids took the bottles on walks, to school or day care, and in the car—where we could test how well they fit into car/booster seat cupholders. They wanted to take them to bed too. I also put each one through the dishwasher at least three times and hand-washed the small parts of each.
What I looked for
Capacity
I looked for kids’ water bottles that held at least 12 ounces of liquid.
Ease of use
I looked for water bottles that were easy for both of my young testers to open, close, and carry, and I took into consideration the size and weight of each.
Leaks and spills
A kids’ water bottle should be 99% leak-free when properly assembled and closed and, ideally, still moderately leak-proof when in use.
Spout or straw size
I looked for water bottles that would be comfortable for toddlers and young kids to use (a.k.a smaller spouts and straws for toddlers and slightly larger but not-too-big spouts and straws for elementary-age kids). Bottles with straw tops or narrow spouts are also less likely to spill if tipped over, so I preferred bottles that didn’t have gaping spouts.
Care and cleaning
As a busy working parent, I won’t even consider buying kids’ water bottles that aren’t dishwasher-safe. But plenty of dishwasher-safe bottles still have parts that require occasional hand-washing—namely straws and gaskets. So I looked for bottles with parts that were easy enough to remove and clean and I favored bottles with fewer parts.
Durability
Kids are hard on most things, especially water bottles, so I looked for products that could withstand frequent drops on hard floors and sidewalks. I also looked for spouts that kids wouldn’t damage by chewing. Brands that offer replacement parts à la carte or under warranty got extra credit.
Price
Kids tend to lose things, so I looked for water bottles that wouldn’t be too expensive to replace.
Other kids’ water bottles I tested
Yeti Rambler Jr
Deal breaker(s): Heavy and pricey
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